5 Charged in Massive Multi-County Gun Trafficking Ring

Five men were arrested and charged for their alleged roles in a massive gun trafficking organization that purchased 34 firearms in Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia counties and illegally resold them throughout the region. 

Clayton Robinson, 20, allegedly led the organization with help from his brothers, 31-year-old Julian Robinson and 18-year-old Kenneth Robinson, all of Glenside, Pennsylvania. 

Police also said Joseph Lynch III, 25, of Carrollton, Georgia, Maurice Baker IV, 23, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, and Brett Portner, 22, of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, all purchased firearms for the organization. 

“These defendants were acting together with the sole purpose of making money by putting firearms in the hands of people who cannot lawfully buy and possess guns, in effect arming criminals and in particular arming criminals with firearms capable of firing many, many bullets in a very short amount of time,” Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said. 

The investigation began in April when Abington Police discovered Clayton Robinson was in possession of an illegal gun, officials said. 

 “Clayton Robinson was found with a firearm and found to be in possession of an illegal firearm,” Steele said. “Despite being 20 years old. Can’t buy a firearm until you’re 21.”

Detectives in Montgomery and Bucks counties as well as Abington Police began monitoring Robinson’s activities which led them to three gun purchasers, Baker, Portner and Lynch, officials said. 

Investigators then used electronic sales records at gun stores, surveillance, social media analysis and interviews to track the activities of the three men. 

The investigators determined Lynch purchased 17 guns for Robinson’s organization between November 17, 2020, and March 15, 2021. Portner allegedly bought five guns from Jan. 11, 2021, to Feb. 3, 2022, while Baker bought 12 guns from May 12, 2021, to Dec. 31, 2021. All of the purchases were “straw purchases,” in which a person with a clean background buys guns on behalf of another person to conceal the true ownership of the weapon, investigators said. 

“Straw purchases and the sale of those guns to people who cannot legally buy their own firearm is dangerous to the safety of all of our communities, especially when the guns have obliterated serial numbers as these guns did,” Steele said. “Gun trafficking is a significant threat to public safety and should concern every law-abiding citizen.”

Investigators also recovered video showing Robinson using a power tool to illegally remove serial numbers from the guns, according to the criminal complaint. 

“Thank God for stupid criminals,” Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said. “Criminals that like to show off.” 

Robinson also allegedly sold “switches,” which is slang for kits that convert semi automatic handguns to fully automatic status. 

So far police have recovered only six of the 34 straw purchases they identified during the investigation. 

The three Robinson brothers, Baker and Portner were all arrested and charged with conspiracy, unlawful transfer of a firearm, dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities and other related offenses. Police continue to search for Lynch. 

“People providing criminals guns is dangerous to our communities," Steele said. "It’s dangerous to our region. I think we’re all very cognizant of the level of carnage that is going on in an adjoining county here.”